UK To Dim Sunlight In Bold Plan To Cool Earth But Scientists Are Not Amused

An experiment to dim the sunlight in order to curb global warming is expected to be approved by the UK government in the coming weeks. The project is part of a Rs 567 crore (50 million pound) government-funded programme under which several small-scale experiments will be conducted to assess the potential of the technology, according to a report in The Telegraph.

The Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria) is backing the solar geoengineering project, which has piqued the interest of scientists worldwide.

"We have strong requirements around the length of time experiments can run for and their reversibility and we won't be funding the release of any toxic substances to the environment," said Professor Mark Symes, the programme director for Aria.

One of the experiments involves releasing tiny particles into the stratosphere to reflect sunlight. Another potential solution is marine cloud brightening in which "ships would spray sea-salt particles into the sky to enhance the reflectivity of low-lying clouds".

If successful, it could temporarily reduce surface temperatures, delaying the climate crisis and giving more time for the deep cuts in global carbon emissions needed. However, geoengineering projects that seek to artificially alter the climate have proven controversial, with critics arguing that they could have damaging knock-on effects.

Additionally, scientists warn that focusing on these experiments could reduce the drive to tackle the root cause of the climate emergency -- the burning of fossil fuels.

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Tipping points

Despite the backlash, Mr Symes is of the view that Earth was reaching a series of tipping points and such experiments were necessary to arrest the slide.

"The uncomfortable truth is that our current warming trajectory makes a number of such tipping points distinctly possible over the next century," said Mr Symes.

"This has driven increased interest in approaches that might actively cool the world in a short timeframe in order to avoid those tipping points."

Apart from outdoor experiments, Aria will be funding new modelling studies, indoor tests, climate monitoring and gauging public attitudes to geoengineering.